Heart as Loud as Lions
by ShineYourOwnWay
Summary: When Finesse Riley leaves her Godfather for another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she is prepared for the ordinary. But when one of her closest friends enters the Triwizard Tournament, all she can do is worry. Throw in crazy friendship, a promise to the twins and a growing crush, and it will be anything but ordinary. George/OC/Cedric Fred/OC Charlie/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Heart As Loud As Lions**

**Chapter 1: Of Giant Pink Marshmallows and Almost Family.**

_I ran and ran, my breathing short and shallow as I stumbled over something – a stick probably – and as I stared up at the giant shadow cast above me, I took in a sharp breath and clenched my eyes shut, ready to meet my end._

"_Ness!"_ I heard my name being called, and I jumped out of bed, throwing my pillow in the direction of the noise, muffling the intruder's next call of, "NES-" As the pillow slammed into their face.

"Wha-" I stopped myself mid-word and let out a giggle, "Uncle Rem?" I stifled a laugh as I saw my Godfather's expression when the pillow fell to the floor.

"What in _Merlin's name _possessed you to do _that_?" His reaction was priceless – he wasn't angry at all, just shocked and confused because I usually woke up so slowly, and I grinned at him.

"I…" I paused, letting a dramatic silence settle over us before saying, "Was being chased by a _giant, pink, marshmallow_."

At this point I didn't even get a laugh, just a roll of the eyes and a raise of the eyebrows, those creepy things, before Remus Lupin, my Godfather and Guardian, waved his hand at me and dismissed himself from my bedroom.

I turned away to get changed before I glanced at the time on my flashing digital alarm clock, a muggle present from my friend Harry a year ago when I'd said I always woke up late. It read, in bright red numbers, 6:00am.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT I WAS GONNA BE LATE?!" I screeched down the stairs, hearing a light chuckle drift up to me.

"You always manage to be _just _on time, Ness," I could hear the grin in his voice as he called up to me from the bottom of the stairs.

I rolled my eyes and proceeded to pull on the first pair of jeans I found lying on my floor, adding a grey sweater and a pair of bright red converse to complete the usual outfit.

I tied my blonde hair back in a loose ponytail and grabbed my trunk, groaning when it was too heavy for me to even lift from the floor.

"Uncle Rem!" I called down the stairs, and soon enough my door was opened slightly and the man walked through, his facial hair unshaven and the hair on his head dishevelled, as usual. To me, it gave him a homely look, but that was probably just my own opinion. It was stupid how people were scared of him. He was harmless, as long as he'd taken his potion. And it wasn't often that he didn't.

He smiled at me and lifted my trunk easily. For such a lanky man, he really was quite strong. Or I was just incredibly weak. Either way.

He carried it down the stairs and I took one last look around my small room. It was simple, with a small cupboard in one corner, a single bed in the middle of the room, a dresser in another cupboard and a window on the right wall. Simple, but that was just the way I liked it. But now, there was nothing in the room other than the furniture, because everything was packed for Hogwarts.

Well, first I'd be going to the Burrow to stay with the Weasley family for a week, along with Rafferty, my younger brother. This visit was extra special because Mr Weasley had got me a ticket to go with them for the Quidditch World Cup. I was so excited when they'd told me and I felt bad for not having any way to repay them, but I was still so excited and grateful. So I had to be there at half past 6 so that we could leave early.

Since tonight was the full moon, Uncle Rem made us stay with the Weasleys for the week, just as we did every month. Because of these constant visits, Raf and I were very close to the red headed family and their close friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. It was like we were all one big family. A very big one at that.

I traced the edge of the dresser, grimacing when dust covered my fingertips. No doubt it would be three times as dusty when I got back.

"Ness!" I heard Uncle Rem calling me and snapping me out of my trance, "You really are going to be late this time!" There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice, and I rolled my eyes as I left my room, closing the door behind me and meeting Raf on the stairs.

I ran a hand through his curly blonde hair, "Hey, Raffy!" I gave him my biggest grin, "You awake yet?"

He rubbed his tired eyes, staring up at me with his baby blues, "Maybe," He smiled cutely, slipping past me and jumping happily down the stairs.

I smiled after him, watching his innocent little movements as he looked in a mirror and fixed the fifth button on his shirt, probably trying to look his best for Ginny. I found his little crush on her adorable, regardless of the fact that she was 3 years older than him and already a teenager. He always tried to impress her whenever we went to stay with them, always trying to act tough and manly. I'm not saying he's not either of those things, but he was too cute to really look and play the part.

I saw Uncle Rem looking at me with a knowing expression, and I flashed him a smile. He knew how much I adored my little brother, and how much he adored me. Everyone did. I guess it was because when our parents had died, we were the only family either one of us had, so we had stuck close since then. We honestly hadn't had a fight at all for the last 5 years, ever since it was just us.

With that, the three of us apparated to the Burrow, Raf on Uncle Rem's left and me on his right, the trunk in my hand a little bigger than the one Raf was holding.

We landed outside of the Burrow, and the smell of another of Mrs Weasley's huge feasts wafted into my nostrils.

Uncle Rem went up and knocked on the door and was quickly answered by Mr Weasley, who gave us a wide, welcoming grin and ushered us inside.

"Come in, come in!" He exclaimed, shutting the door behind us as Mrs Weasley looked up from whatever she was stirring inside a giant pot. No matter what it was it would be delicious. Her cooking always was.

"Ah!" She gave us a warm smile and made her way over to us, "It's about time you three got here!" She came over and made to hug each of us.

"I swear you get prettier and prettier every time I see you," She told me as I struggled to breathe in her tight, motherly hold. She was the only motherly figure in my life, so I was very grateful to her for everything she did for me when she had absolutely no obligations.

"Thank you," I felt my face heat up and I averted my gaze as she hugged Uncle Rem.

"Remus!" She took his skinny form in her arms and held his shoulders tightly as she pulled away, "You look so tired! Stay for breakfast, you need some meat on those bones!" Her offer was kind, but I knew he would decline.

"Sorry, Molly," He smiled weakly, having always been shier around others compared to when he was around Raf and I, "It's always very difficult on the first night, and I have to be ready," He looked out a window and we all followed his gaze to the cloudy sky.

"Ah, yes," Mrs Weasley nodded sadly, "Some other time," She received a nod in response and turned to hug Raf.

"You look so much older!" She exclaimed, "And handsome," She gave him a wink and patted his arm, and instead of going red like I had, he nodded proudly.

"I'm even stronger than I was last time!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down a little, all of us laughing at him with smiles on our faces. Kids could always put smiles on your face. Their laughter and toothy grins were contagious.

"Well," Uncle Rem nodded, "I should be off," He cast another wary glance at the sky, and I felt a stab of pity for him. No one should have to live in constant fear or displeasure, especially when they have no way to change it or no choice against it. Most people were just too scared of things that weren't normal. Different things.

He hugged Raf and I quickly, and stepped out of the house to apparate.

"Bye Uncle Rem!" Raf and I waved at him and he flashed a smile at us before he disappeared from sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Heart As Loud As Lions**

**Chapter 2: Of Reuniting With Old Friends.**

Mrs Weasley turned to Raf and I after Uncle Rem left, and she used her wand to move our trunks from our hands to the wall, "I'll have one of the boys get those later," She smiled, beckoning for us to sit down, "Sit, sit!"

She set a bowl each in front of the two of us and filled them with steaming hot porridge, pouring some honey on top, "Eat up!" She told us, going back to the pot and filling more bowls for everyone else, "And don't be afraid to ask for seconds! There's plenty here!" Mr Weasley sat down at a bowl of his own and dug in, a goofy little grin on his face as he enjoyed his meal while reading _The Daily Prophet_.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley!" I smiled at the plump woman, "You're always so nice to me and Raf…" I trailed off, thinking of how many countless times she had welcomed us into her home – her and Mr Weasley both.

"Molly is fine, dear," She brushed me off with a warm smile, and I returned it without hesitation, "And you're always welcome here, you, Raf and Remus," She nodded kindly and my smile got wider as I looked away, embarrassed.

I ate a few slow mouthfuls of the delicious porridge, whereas Raf had devoured his, already getting seconds from Mrs Weasley, until four pairs of feet trudged down the stairs behind Raf and I, and I rose in my chair to see three heads of red hair and a fourth of jet black in front of me.

"Fi-Fi!" I was immediately engulfed in the arms of the twins, two of my best friends in the whole world, "We haven't seen you in ages!" The way they spoke together made them seem like one person, when in reality they had so many differences and if you knew them it wasn't too hard to tell them apart… Unless they were having one of the days when they decided to trick us all and swap identities or act exactly like each other. It was kind of impossible then.

"It's been a month!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around their waists. It was one of the best feelings, being in their grasp. They were both a little taller than me, so with their arms around my shoulders and mine around their waists, I felt protected.

"So?!" I could tell that Fred was the one who spoke first, throwing an arm around my shoulder, as did George.

"It feels like it's been years!" George pulled my chair out for me and I sat back down at my bowl, Fred sitting on Raf's right with George on my left, the four of us all in a row as they dug into their own bowls.

"Hi Harry, Ron," I smiled at the two who had seated themselves at the end of the table on the opposite side to us.

I laughed as food fell out of Ron's mouth while he spoke, "Hi Fin!" He went straight back to his bowl, which was almost all finished. He sure loved food. It made me smile at how silly he looked.

"Hi Fin," Harry gave me a small smile, having always been quite quiet. I felt sorry for him, having gone through everything he'd had to go through in his life. He was lucky to have befriended such brilliant people as the Weasleys. They truly were amazing, welcoming anyone with open arms.

"What d'you think?" Everyone turned to Mr Weasley, and I just now noticed, as he spread his arms, that he was wearing Muggle clothes. I didn't see much difference between wizard clothes and Muggle clothes – except the robes I guess, "We're supposed to go incognito – do I look like a Muggle, Harry?" He sounded so anxious I almost laughed.

"Yeah," Harry said, flashing a smile, "Very good," He praised.

"Where're Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-ercy?" George attempted to stifle the huge yawn that was pressing passed his lips, failing miserably.

"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" Mrs Weasley began to refill everyone's bowls, "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

"So they're still in bed?" Fred grumbled, "Why can't we Apparate too?" He said in between a mouthful.

Mrs Weasley shot him a look, "Because you're not of age and you haven't got your test," She started up the stairs, "And where have those girls got to?"

I grinned when she mentioned them, Hermione, Ginny, Claire and Rosa. Claire and Rosa were another two of my best friends in the whole world. They were seriously brilliant. _Absolutely genius_. I hadn't seen them for ages so it was exciting to finally be reunited.

Rosa lived with the Weasleys, since Mr and Mrs Weasley were her Godparents. She was a Pure Blood, but both of her parents had died when she was young, after a spell gone wrong. It was really horrible, but she had a fantastic relationship with everyone in the family.

Claire's story was a little bit similar, since she wasn't actually related to the Weasley family. She had been left on a Muggle orphanage's doorstep when she was 2, and she has no memories prior to then, since she was just a baby, so when she turned 12 and was picked up by Dumbledore, he took her to the Weasleys and they have been her family ever since he asked them to take care of her.

So, since I was so close to the twins and Rosa and Claire, I was almost like a part of their family too. Raf was, since he loved them all like parents, and wasn't as close to Uncle Rem as I was. He was closest to me of all, and I have my suspicions that his love for the Weasleys had something to do with Mrs Weasley's cooking.

I turned to George, "Did Dez get here safely?" I asked him, referring to my beautiful black, blue eyed owl who I had sent to the Burrow early.

"Yeah," George grinned, "He's up with Hedwig, Ren and Quince. They're all nuts when they're together!"

Ren was Claire's owl, a gorgeous male that was pure white with green eyes, and Quince was Quincy, Rosa's brown and yellow eyed owl. All three of us had owls; it was one of the many things that connected us.

I smiled at him in thanks as Harry spoke.

"You have pass a test to Apparate?" He was so clueless sometimes, but it was only expected since he hadn't grown up with an education to the world of magic.

"Oh yes," Mr Weasley said, tucking the tickets for the Quidditch World Cup safely into the pocket of the baggy pair of jeans he was wearing, "The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a licence. It's not easy, Apparation, and when not done properly it can lead to nasty complications. This pair I'm talking about went and splinched themselves."

I winced along with everyone else around the table, save Harry.

"Er – _splinched_?" Harry said, confused.

"They left half of themselves behind," Mr Weasley said, spooning large amounts of treacle onto his porridge, "So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn't move either way. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out. Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind…"

I shuddered. It was horrid. Even just thinking about it was scary.

"Were they OK?" Harry asked, startled.

"Oh yes," Mr Weasley said matter-of-factly, "But they got a heavy fine, and I don't think they'll be trying it again in a hurry. You don't mess around with Apparation. There are plenty of adult wizards who don't bother with it. Prefer brooms – slower, but safer."

Harry was full of questions today, but I guess he would have to have so many of them that he asked them whenever possible, "But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"

"Charlie had to take the test twice," Fred said, grinning, "He failed first time, Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"

I had to chuckle at that. Charlie may have been great with animals, dragons in particular, but he wasn't great with all areas of magic, it seemed.

"Yes, well, he passed the second time," Mrs Weasley said, marching back into the kitchen surrounded by hearty sniggers, while I just giggled.

"Percy only passed two weeks ago," George told us, "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."

That did sound just like Percy. The relationship with him and his family was so distant. I'd hate to have something like that with Uncle Rem.

There were footsteps down the stairs and Hermione, Ginny, Claire and Rosa came into the kitchen, all looking pale and drowsy.

Claire and Rosa's eyes widened when they saw me, and I jumped out of my chair for the second time that morning, a giant grin on my face, as we all ran at each other and caught one another in bear hugs.

"Claire!" I exclaimed, suddenly a lot more awake than I had been previously, "Rosa!"

They grinned at me, "Fin!" We didn't stop hugging for at least 6 seconds before we all broke apart smiling, all a lot happier and bubblier than we'd been before.

The two of them sat down across from me and Raf, Claire right in front of me and Rosa in front of Raf.

"You look so different, even though it's only been a month!" Rosa looked surprised, and I just shrugged.

"Not really…" I paused for a moment before rethinking, "…Really?" I smiled oddly, having not noticed any changes recently.

Claire joined in, nodding vigorously, "Yeah! Definitely!" She smiled, "How have you been?"

"Fine," I replied, a content smile working its way onto my face, "Nothing spectacular happened, really," I spoke the truth, shrugging my shoulders, "How have you guys been?"

Claire grinned, "Charlie promised to take me to see the dragons!" She had always loved dragons, but she'd never seen one up close, and had always envied Charlie for his job, "I'm so excited!" She looked ready to squeal, and I smiled for her.

"What about y-" I paused, blinking once then twice at Rosa, who was having a stare down with my brother, "Rosa?" I asked cautiously, only to be ignored as Raf poured something on his porridge – wait, was that salt?

Rosa narrowed her eyes and grabbed the pepper, pouring at least a handful into her porridge, which caused Raf to add more salt. Then they both added at least 5 tablespoons of treacle. Oh God. That is disgusting.

The two of them had always been strange when together, always provoking challenges in each other, what with Raf's love of mixing different things together, like three different types of cereals every morning, or all of his vegetables in one big mix during dinner. He literally mashed them all in together and ate them.

That was exactly what the two of them did, mixing everything in together and both eating a big, heaped spoonful of what, for Rosa, was now black spotted creamy liquid, and for Raf, was now orange and runny liquid. Both looked disgusting.

The two stared at each other for about 3 seconds before Rosa spat hers back in her bowl and Raf smirked triumphantly, probably pleased at winning and hoping he'd impressed Ginny.

As it turned out, Ginny wasn't even paying attention to either of them, having almost dozed off in her chair.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"We've got a bit of a walk," Mr Weasley replied.

"Walk?" Harry looked confused, "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

I stifled a giggle, again telling myself I was silly and that Harry had perfect reasons not to understand the wizarding world.

"No, no, that's miles away," Mr Weasley said, smiling, "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup..."

It was an exciting thought, the Quidditch World Cup, let alone knowing I wold get to experience what so many wizards and witches could only wish to experience in their lifetime.

"George!" Mrs Weasley said sharply and suddenly, causing all of us to jump.

"What?" George said, using an innocent tone that deceived nobody.

"What is that in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!"

Oh God, here we go.

Mrs Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket, "Accio!"

Several small, brightly coloured objects zoomed out of George's pockets and he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Mrs Weasley's outstretched hand.

"We told you to destroy them!" Mrs Weasley cried furiously, holding up what were unmistakably Ton-Tongue Toffees. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets; go on, both of you!"

It was an unpleasant scene; the twins had evidently been trying to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible, and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Mrs Weasley managed to find them all. Otherwise they may have gotten away with it.

"Accio! Accio! Accio!" She shouted, and toffees zoomed from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees away.

"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" She shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"

All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as we took our departure. Mrs Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr Weasley on the cheek and hugged us all, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her. I guess it was normal, but it was also very cold of them.

"Well, have a lovely time," Mrs Weasley told us, "And behave yourselves," She called after the twins' retreating backs, but they did not look back or answer, "I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy along around midday," Mrs Weasley said to Mr Weasley, as the rest of us took off across the lawn after Fred and George.


	3. Chapter 3

**Heart As Loud As Lions**

**Chapter 3: Of the Longest Friend.**

"So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" Harry asked as we all continued on our way.

"It's been a massive organizational problem," Mr Weasley sighed, "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed." Mr Weasley pointed ahead of us, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously.

"Well, they can be anything," Mr Weasley said, "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them... Stuff they'll just think is litter..."

We trudged down the dark, chilly lane toward the village, the silence broken only by our footsteps, none of us speaking. The sky lightened very slowly as we made our way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to deepest blue. My hands were so cold I swear they must have been turning blue, and Mr Weasley kept checking his watch.

We didn't have breath to spare for talking as we began to climb Stoatshead Hill, stumbling occasionally in hidden rabbit holes, slipping on thick black tufts of grass. Every breath I took sent shudders throughout my whole body, and I felt like I would collapse at any given moment. I never was the fittest person.

"Whew," Mr Weasley was panting, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time - we've got ten minutes."

Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side.

"Now we just need the Portkey," Mr Weasley said, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big... Come on..."

We spread out, searching. We had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rent the still air.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."

Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.

I felt a giant grin, my biggest one from all of today, work itself onto my face.

"Amos!" Mr Weasley exclaimed, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of us followed.

Mr Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a mouldy-looking old boot in his other hand.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," Mr Weasley told us, "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

I couldn't contain my excitement any longer as I stepped forward and threw myself at Cedric, "CED!" I cried, and he caught me and slipped backwards, landing on his back on the soggy grass.

I was laughing uncontrollably, out of pure happiness for finally seeing my longest friend for the first time ever since Christmas break started.

"Fin!" He shot me a smile, "Haven't seen you in forever," He wasn't being as obnoxious as he could be since there were other people around, but that didn't stop me.

I got up off of his chest and pulled him up, although he didn't need my help at all, "Sorry!" I fluttered my eyelashes jokingly at him, "I know I'm irresistible, but I didn't mean to sweep you off your feet!" I acted mock-sorry.

Everyone around us laughed, obviously having watched everything unfold. Fred, George, Rosa and Claire knew that I had a close relationship with Ced, but others were kind of confused.

"Hi," Cedric said sheepishly, looking around at them all.

Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating our team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked Mr Weasley.

"Not too bad," Mr Weasley replied, "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still... Not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons - and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy..." Mr Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Rosa, Claire and I, "All these yours, Arthur?"

He obviously knew I wasn't, since he knew me through Ced. Ced was encouraging me to ask his father about his job, since I hoped to work with magical creatures one day, but I had always been to shy.

"Oh no, only the redheads," Mr Weasley said, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's - and Harry, another friend -"

Oh, great.

"Merlin's beard," Mr Diggory said, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Er - yeah," said Harry.

He looked incredibly uncomfortable, but you'd think he'd be used to it by now…

"Ced's talked about you, of course," Mr Diggory said, "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... You beat Harry Potter!"

I held back a snort. He obviously didn't realise that so many of the team players were here, and that the only reason he'd won was because Harry fell off his broom.

Harry remained silent, but Fred and George were both scowling again. Cedric looked slightly embarrassed.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered, "I told you... It was an accident..."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" Mr Diggory roared genially, slapping his son on his back, "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on; you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

I was a bit shocked that he actually had the guts to say that _in front _of Harry, but of course I didn't say or do anything to show it. That would be disrespectful, regardless of the fact that Mr Diggory had just been disrespectful himself…

"Must be nearly time," Mr Weasley said quickly, pulling out his watch again, "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," Mr Diggory told him, "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," Mr Weasley said, "Yes, it's a minute off ... We'd better get ready..."

He looked around at Harry and Hermione, neither of which had every used a Portkey themselves, obviously.

"You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do-" With difficulty, owing to our bulky backpacks, the twelve of us crowded around the old boot held out by Mr Diggory.

We all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop. Nobody spoke. The quite was kind of eerie, and since it wasn't during the day exactly, it was still pretty dark.

"Three…" Mr Weasley muttered, one eye still on his watch, "Two… One."

I felt the sudden jerking sensation and I clenched my eyes shut for a moment, the horrible feeling making me cringe as I felt Fred and George slamming into me on either side. Ced gave me a reassuring smile from across the other side as the whirlpool of colours we were swept into slowly disappeared. I let go of the boot and felt myself hit the ground hard on my back, groaning upon the impact.

I looked up to see Ced smirking at me as he, Mr Weasley and Mr Diggory were all still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else was on the ground.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," a voice said in the air.

I got up and stood beside Ced, gaining back some of my breath, "You're a git, y'know?" I told him, leaning on his shoulder to gain my balance.

"I know, Fin," He patted my head kindly, "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Heart As Loud As Lions**

**Chapter 4: Of Catching Up.**

After we parted ways with Ced and Mr Diggory, we found our campsite, with a bit of trouble from a Muggle who was beginning to suspect things, and Harry and Hermione had to figure out where to put all the pegs in for the tents, and then Harry's apparent shock at the fact that the tents was _a lot _larger on the inside than the outside. But all in all it had been pretty fine.

While Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny went to get water and get apparent 'bonding time', and the boys went to get firewood, Rosa, Claire and I got out of it because we were girls who 'shouldn't have to work yourselves', according to Mr Weasley. I was slightly offended, but it gave the three of us a chance to catch up properly without the company of others around.

"So," Claire started off, "The best thing happened to me over the holidays! Charlie promised to take me to see the dragons!" The same excitement she'd had when she first told me repeated itself, showing on her face as she lit up.

Rosa smirked. "Like…" She paused before the smirk grew ever so slightly and I knew exactly what she was thinking of before she said, "A date?"

Claire's face went red immediately, and she averted her gaze. "N-No!" She protested. "Just like, an outing… To go see the dragons… And maybe feed them and play with them…" She bit her lip.

"Playing with dragons?" I raised an eyebrow. "How do you play with dragons? Wouldn't they just… I dunno. Actually, what _are _dragons like up close? They've gotta have personalities – all living things do – but what are they like in the flesh?" I cocked my head to the side curiously.

"Maybe…" Rosa smirked. "Maybe they only breathe fire when they're_ in heat_…"

I laughed, slapping my hands over my mouth to stifle my giggles. "Only _you_ could think of that, Rose!" I told her, a smile on my face after I moved me hands.

Claire had been too busy laughing to make any comment, and she almost had tears in her eyes.

These were the silly little jokes we made in our friendship circle – well, more like a triangle – that, even though no one else would ever laugh at the idiocy, can bring us to the ground, laughing with our arms over our stomach and tears in our eyes. Just being together would always be enough.

"I still think it's a date." Rosa smirked at Claire, who just went bright red again.

"It's not!" We all laughed again, pure smiles all around.

"So, how's Lupin?" Claire asked, taking the subject away from her and Charlie.

"He's alright." I shrugged, "As alright as you can be if you're a werewolf." I shook my head sadly, "I mean, I have nothing against the fact that he's a werewolf, aside from the part of it that wears him down so much… I wish I could stay with him while he transforms, but he's always so afraid of hurting me and Raf…" I faded off. "But he will always be our Godfather, and I love him."

Rosa and Claire both smiled at me, "At least you'll always have him." Rosa said.

"Yeah," I grinned, "And you guys!"

I was immediately enveloped in two warm sets of arms, "Yeah!" Rosa cried.

"You'll always have us by your side!" Claire smiled at me.

Then the sentimental moment was ruined when Claire leaned over and licked Rosa's cheek.

"EW!" Rosa exclaimed, "That's disgusting!" She jumped over to me and rubbed it on my shirt.

"Hey!" I laughed, shoving her away lightly.

We all sat together in the small tent, laughing some more and just being ourselves.

Gosh, I'd missed these girls.

When the boys came back, the three of us joined them in the other tent and sat with Fred and George and just messed around.

"Truth or dare, Fred!" Rosa smirked at the red haired twin, giving him a challenging stare.

"Dare!" He returned the smirk, and Rosa's smirk grew.

"I dare you…" She paused dramatically, "To slip a Canary Cream into Percy's food!" She looked pleased with her little dare, and I pictured the uptight wizard's face when he realised what his brothers had done. This would be good… But I would feel sorry for them both when he changed back…

"Done." Fred smirked. "But I won't do anything without Georgie!" George was willing enough, naturally, and he walked over to Percy.

"Hey! Perce! Wanna try one of these?!" George distracted Percy by holding out a small little red ball, who knows what it was or what it could do.

Percy looked at his brother as though he'd grown another head. "Fred, George, whichever one you are, go bug someone else."

Meanwhile, Fred slipped the chocolate covered canary cream into the bowl of whatever he was eating, I didn't even know.

Rosa, Claire and I held back our giggles, watching the scene unfold as Fred crept back towards us and George came to sit with us again.

Percy looked suspicious of George, probably because he had stopped bugging him so easily and quickly. He was probably just waiting for it to happen again.

We chatted idly for a few minutes before there was suddenly an odd little puffing noise, and we looked over to see a little yellow canary sitting on the chair that had been previously occupied by Percy.

George ran forward and picked up the bird, who nipped at George's finger.

George winced and squinted. "Come on, Perce! It's just a joke!" He was chuckling heartily between his words, and the bird turned towards him, tilting its head up to face George.

And then the bird, Percy, chirped.

Now, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal if it was anyone else, but the fact that it was _Percy Weasley_,the uptight red headed prefect, who suddenly _chirped_, a little high pitched sound that should never come from his mouth, made us all burst into loud, obnoxious laughter.

Fred walked over to George and poked the little Percy bird in the head, and he got nipped on the finger.

"Perce!" Fred yelped, jumping back a little. "Take a jo-" Fred couldn't finish his sentence, because in a sudden puff of smoke, Percy was back to being Percy, and he was lying on the floor, looking slightly dazed.

His face turned red with anger when he realised exactly what had happened, and he stood, fuming. He glared at the twins and, without a word, stalked out of the tent.

The five of us immediately burst into laughter as the twins high fived us all.

"The troublesome twins strike again!" Rosa exclaimed, making us all chuckle.

"Now, how about you do a dare for us?" Fred smirked at Rosa, who suddenly didn't look so confident.


	5. Chapter 5

**Heart as Loud as Lions**

**Chapter 5: Of Zilch and Quidditch Disasters.**

After an eventful night of Quidditch, full of jokes cracked from the winning team; Ireland, directed at the losing team; Bulgaria, a run-in with the Malfoy's and the twins winning a bet against Bagman, our group headed back to the tents, some faces sour and others smiling. I, for one, wasn't exactly in the position to be either, considering I had only supported Bulgaria to go with Rosa and Claire, considering I wasn't a Quidditch fanatic like most people in our group. Sure, I had enjoyed watching the match, but it just wasn't my favourite thing.

Rosa and Claire were currently ignoring the twins who had scored at least two thirds of the money Rosa had been saving for Hogsmead, through the dare that they'd played against her. But that hadn't been the only part of the dare.

_Fred's mischievous grin unnerved all three of us as George also chuckled, probably having also been a part of his plan to manipulate Rosa as he had._

_Rosa rolled her eyes. "Sure. I'll give you the money _if _we lose. Which we won't." She didn't look as sure of herself as she was obviously trying to sound. "W-What's the second part of the dare?"_

_Fred's grin only grew as he laughed. "If you lose, _which you will," _He mocked her previous words. "You have to go on a date with me. To Hogsmead. _Alone._"_

_The way he said 'alone' had made it sound almost sexual, which made me have to stifle a laugh before Rosa's eyes grew and her face gained a coat of red._

Of course, she'd accepted the dare. Rosa _really _wasn't one to back down from a dare. She was too much into the challenges for that. But, nonetheless, Claire and I would be cheering her on, since a date with Fred is what she's wanted for, well, probably forever.

As we headed back to the tent, Mr Weasley was conversing with the twins and I attempted to lighten the mood with Rose and Claire.

"So…" I pursed my lips and raised an eyebrow, glancing at them with a weak look as they both turned to me with hot, steaming glares. "The-the match was good?" I tried, but the glares only intensified and it was quite obviously the exact wrong thing to say. Damn.

I exhaled and rolled my eyes, throwing my hands in the air and stifling a yawn that would ruin my I'm-not-tired façade that I had put up. "I give up. You two are seriously so stubborn!" I exclaimed.

I received no reply and I rolled my eyes again as I trailed backward and began walking in sync with Ced, who was still walking with us on the way to his and our tents.

"So, Ced… How're you?" I asked him, and it was only then that I noticed the scowl that was plastered across his face.

My jaw dropped a little. "Oh, c'mon!" I exclaimed. "Not you too!" I sighed and buried my head in my hands for a m0ment before I looked back up at Ced.

"Y'know…" I trailed off for a moment, having not even earned a glance from him. "You should probably stop scowling… You know all those muggle stories; what if the wind changed and all those things…" I was pleased when he gave me a slight look before planting his eyes firmly ahead once again, and I continued to tease him. "That glare…" I shrugged. "It mars your… _rugged _features. Your sexy_, _handsome_, _features. That's no way to get the girls!" I flashed him an award-winning smile and he finally looked at me, starting long and hard before shaking his head and looking forward once more.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Seriously?" I breathed. "Nothing?" I received no reply and I threw my hands up for what I believe was the third time that night. "I give up with you people! I swear, there is _no _way to get through to you. Nothing! Nada, zip!" I exhaled sharply when I still received no reply and I stopped talking as he continued to look forward, silently refusing to look at him again.

There was a moment of silence before he said, "Zilch."

I glanced at him in confusion. "What?"

"Zilch…" He mumbled, a barely supressed grin on his face. "You forgot zilch."

There was another moment of silence before we both burst into chuckles on his part and giggles on mine. God, we are idiots.

I shook my head and took a few breathes before I glanced at him. "I missed this." I told him, being truthful.

I loved spending time with Raf and Uncle Rem, but sometimes I missed the company of my friends. There was Rosa and Claire, my female friends who I told everything; all the secrets I would never tell Uncle Rem or any of the boys. There was Ced, who I told everything else, and who had been supporting me since I was young. Really young. And there were the twins, who were the fun and laughter that I really needed sometimes. All my friends I needed all the time, but I just had to make the most of being with them when I was at school or whenever I had the chance. I'd always be there when Raf or Uncle Rem needed me, though. I loved my friends, but family would always come first.

"I miss it too." He smiled at me. "I always miss it. It's always strange when you're not around." He turned and enveloped me in a hug.

I hugged back and closed my eyes as I smiled. "I feel the same. You're my best and closest friend, Ced."

We broke apart after a few seconds and shared matching smiles, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight as he let out a little chuckle.

"Fin!" I heard Mr Weasley call out to me and I looked over to see that, somehow, we had already reached the tents. "Time to go!" He called, and I nodded and waved to show that I'd heard him. He ducked under the flaps of the tent and it was just me and Ced – and of course Mr Diggory, who was looking through some papers as he continued walking.

He looked up and flashed us a grin. "Time to go, my boy."

Ced and I shared one last quick hug before saying goodbye and I ducked into the tent, flashing a smile at Hermione, who was almost asleep.

Rosa and Claire were both lying there, backs turned to the wall and I rolled my eyes and changed, ready for bed. I laid down beside Ginny, who I was sharing a bed with for the night. She was already asleep and she looked adorable with her red hair and soft, closed eyes. She looked peaceful. People are always most peaceful when they sleep.

I shut my eyes and felt myself drift into a dream state.

_"Fin! Fin! Look what I found!" I turned around to see Raf running toward me with something small and green in his tiny, five year old hand. _

_I flashed him a joyful beam and leaned down to his height. "What is it, Raf?" I asked him, cocking my head to the side slightly._

_"It's a cwovah!" He cried, and I looked down as he showed me the small weed in his hands._

_I grinned. "Raf, this isn't just any clover!" I told him, ruffling his hair. "It's a four leaf clover!"_

_He cocked his head to the side much like I had two seconds ago. "What's a fouw weaf cwovah?" He asked curiously, as any child would._

_"Well," I looked into his eyes and saw the wonder grow as I explained it to him. "A four leaf clover is extra rare, so if you find one, you'll have good luck!" His eyes grew and grew until they were as big as they could have been._

_He held his hands out to me, the clover sitting gently in them. "I want you to have it, Fin!" He told me._

_I smiled carefully. "Are you sure, Raf?" I asked him, and he nodded._

_"Yup!"_

_I took the clover gently and opened the book I had in front of me. It was a muggles book of children's fairytales that Dad had given to me before he died. I opened up to Raf and I's favourite story; 'The Little Toy Solider', and placed it flat on the page, closing the book._

_"Now it will be safe." I told him, and he nodded violently._

_"You'll have good luck forever, Fin!"_

_I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off when there was a suddenly growling from some bushes not too far away. I stood up quickly and grabbed Raf, shoving him behind me._

_"Stay there." I told him as firmly as I could as I shook in fear. "Wh-Who's there?" I called cautiously._

_Suddenly, a big wolf jumped out from behind the bushes. It was brown, almost grey in the light, and it was almost humanoid. Pounced at us and scratched my face as I let out a terrified scream, falling to the ground, Raf gone._

_I shuffled backwards and felt tears roll down my face as the wolf turned toward me again, only this time there was a change. _

_It had Uncle Rem's face._

_The wolf leapt again and I let out another scream._

I sat straight up, panting and sweating in the bed I shared with Ginny, and my eyes adjusted to see Claire beside me, shaking me slightly. "Fin! Fin! You have to get up!"

Her calls weren't the only thing I could hear when I woke a little more, and I could hear awful screams all around and I could see menacing shadows and bright lights from fire outside the tent.

I got out of bed with Ginny and we all grabbed nightgowns to put over our pyjamas just as the twins rushed in and filed us out.

As we emerged, Bill, Charlie and Percy all did the same and were standing, fully dressed, outside the boys' tent, their wands at the ready.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr Weasley shouted, though I could barely hear him over all the noise. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

"C'mon." Fred said as the twins ushered us all into the woods. By the time we reached the trees, Harry, Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Rosa exclaimed. "Where did they get to now?!"

George shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We should hide for now. Dad'll take care of it when they get back." He was right, and we all went deeper into the woods, all of us quiet from the shook of all that had happened.

It was a genius plan, of course. Invade the camp while everyone was tired out from all the celebrating, in the dead of night. The element of surprise is everything, they always say.

"What is going on?" I shivered as I rubbed my arms and saw my breath in the air.

George, who was standing beside me, glanced at me and threw me his jacket, which I accepted gratefully. "Death Eaters."

I sighed, having already known that it was probably the work of You-Know-Who. "Of course it was."

It wasn't too long before Charlie, Bill and Percy were back and they escorted us back to the tents, and it didn't take long for us to fall asleep after our head hit our pillows.

**A/N: Well, that wraps up chapter 5. Yay. I wrote something. **

**As a few of you may have noticed, yesterday I re-uploaded a LOT of shizzle. Yep. I just though, along with the inspiration given to me by the best friend, Cait, that it doesn't matter if I take a while to update things. As long as people are reading them, I'm pretty darn happy.**

**Thank you to those who commented/reviewed.**

**Thanks to AlexTheLlama and EternalSilence on Wattpad! I hope to gain fans on too.**

**Thanks everyone! :D**

**Please comment, review, vote, favourite, follow or whatever it is ya wanna do!**

**Thanks! **

**Keep on smiling x**


End file.
